Trenching machine transmission



Nov. 11, 1952 w. w. EVERETT TRENCHING MACHINE TRANSMISSION Filed May 16, 1949 Nov. 11, 1952 Filed May 16, 1949 W. W. EVERETT TRENCHING MACHINE TRANSMISSION 5 sheets sheet 2 Z'muentor WOODROW W EVERETT 8 b3 MM MM Nov. 11, 1952 w. w. EVERETT 2,617,314

TRENCHING MACHINE TRANSMISSION Filed May 16, 1949 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 3maentoi' Woooaow W EVERET (It totneg Nov. 11, .1952 w. w. EVERETT TRENCHING MACHINE TRANSMISSION 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 16, 1949 3nventor WOomzow W EVERETT attorney "II" "III Nov. 11, 1952 w. w. EVERETT TRENCHING MACHINE TRANSMISSION 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 16, 1949 3nnentor WOODROW W EVERETT (Ittomeg Patented Nov. 11, 1952 TRENCHING MACHINE TRANSMISSION Woodrow W. Everett, Phoenix, Ariz, assignor to The Tractor Sales Corp., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application May 16, 1949, Serial No. 93,470

6 Claims. I

This invention relates to excavating machines and is particularly directed to trenching or ditching machines employing a supporting frame and an endless chain bucket line carrying a series of excavating buckets mounted on an ordinary tractor.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an excavating device including an auxiliary transmission which shall be a self-contained unit adapted for use with farm tractors which is of simple, compact and durable mechanical construction, and which may be readily attached to or removed from the tractor proper.

Another object of my invention is to provide a combined tractor and excavating device in which the operating parts are severally associated through a transmission system of novel arrangement to a common actuating or impelling device.

Another object of this invention is to provide an excavating device especially adapted for digging ditches in'which the cutting or excavating mechanism is adjustable relative to its supporting frame structure to vary the depth of excavation to control the profile of the bottom of the ditch being cut.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel arrangement for adapting a trenching mechanism to an ordinary tractor in which the tractor may operate at normal traveling speeds or at a slow feeding speed for actuating the trench mechanism while cutting a ditch.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved mounting for the endless chain bucket line to substantially eliminate Vibration in the tractor and excavating device mounted on it while at the same time maintaining a greater number of excavating buckets in cutting contact with the ditch being out.

And a still further object is to provide an improved hydraulic control system for positioning the boom or supporting frame for profile control and for bodily moving the trenching device to a withdrawn position on the tractor when it is to be transported to another working location by the tractor.

Further features and advantages of this invention will appear from the following detailed description of the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an enlarged side elevation of the trenching device shown applied to a conventional farm tractor.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the arrangement shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a rear view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse section of the auxiliary low speed transmission indicated by the line 4-4 in Figures 1, 2, and 5.

Fig. 4a is a diagrammatic section on the line 4a4a of Fig. 4.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the power take-off control unit for driving the bucket chain line indicated by the line 6-6 in Figure 1.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the overload clutch drive shaft indicated by the line 'l--! in Figures 1 and 3.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the essential elements and their operative association in the trenching apparatus.

For illustrative purposes this invention is shown applied to a conventional farm tractor having the usual internal combustion engine l0 and main drive clutch II, shown diagrammatically in Figure 8, which connects power from the engine to the input shaft l2 of the usual change speed and reversing transmission l3 controlled from the gear shift lever l4. Such a transmission has the usual output shaft [5 which is connected to the propeller shaft I6 having the bevel pinion H which drives the differential ring gear for application of power to the tractor axles l9 and the main driving wheels 20. The transmission I3 also has the usual back gear shaft 2| which connects through a disconnect clutch 22 to the power take-off shaft 23 extending to the rear of the diiferential housing 24 in a Well known convential manner.

In order to provide a suitable slow speed drive for feeding the tractor along while the trencher is in operation cutting a ditch, there is provided an auxiliary low speed transmission indicated generally at 25. Referring particularly to Figures 1, 4, and 5, the auxiliary transmission 25 has a housing 26 which has a flange portion 21a secured by suitable bolts 21 to the rear flange 28 of the regular transmission I3 so that power from the shaft l5 of the regular transmission is connected through the splined connection [5a to a gear 29 secured to the shaft H3. The gear 29 in turn drives a large gear 39 to which is fixed the smaller gear 3| both of which gears are journaled on a shaft 32 fixed in the transmission housing 26. The gear 3| in turn drives the gear 33 which has fixed to it a small pinion gear 34, both of which gears 33 and 34 are journaled on a shaft 35 fixed in the housing 26. The gear 34 in turn drives the gear 36 which is fixed to a shaft 37 journaled on the fixed shaft 32. A pinion gear 38 is cut in the shaft 31 and meshes with the gear 39 which is journaled on the bearing portion 40 of the output shaft M of the auxiliary transmission. The aforementioned drive gearing causes the gear 39 to rotate at a much slower rate, preferably in the range of 100 to 1 relative to the speed of rotation of the shaft I5.

The shaft 4! of the auxiliary transmission is journaled in a suitable ball bearing 42 in the housing 23 and is supported on its other bearing portion 43 in a counter bore 44 formed in the extended sleeve portion 45 of the gear 29. On the shaft M is formed a gear portion 48 upon which is slidably mounted the mating splined clutch spool 41. On the hub of the gear 39 is formed a gear 48 identically the same diameter and number of teeth as the gear 46. Formed on the sleeve portion 45 of the gear 29 is formed a gear 49 which is also the same size as the gears 45 and 43. Thus when the clutch spool 41 is moved axially to the right in Figure it will engage over the gear 48 to cause the shaft M to be rotated very slowly relative to the shaft I5 to effect the feeding movement of the tractor while digging a trench. When the clutch spool 41 is moved to the left to engage over the gear 49 the shaft 4| will be directly connected to the shaft I5 for conventional traveling speeds for the tractor.

The shaft 4| is connected to the regular propeller shaft I6 in the differential or rear axle housing 24, which housing 24 has its flange portion 50 bolted to the flange portion 5I of the auxiliary transmission housing 26 by suitable bolts 5|. The clutch spool 41 may be shifted by means of a conveniently placed travel and feed control lever 52 pivotally mounted on top of the transmission housing 26 on a suitable rock shaft 53 journaled in a suitable bearing 54 formed in the cover plate 55 secured to the top of the housing 26 by suitable screws 56. Fixed to the rock shaft 53 is a lever arm 51 having a pin 58 fixed in its outer end which engages in a slot 59 formed in the shifter yoke 80 carried on the rod SI fixed in the housing '23. A depending shifter fork 62 is formed integral with the shifter yoke 69 and has bifurcated ends 63 which engage in the annular groove 04 formed in the clutch spool 41 so that manipulation of the lever 52 axially shifts the spool 41. Suitable spring urged ball detent means 85 engages in one or the other of the grooves 65 or 61 in the rod BI to normally hold the clutch spool 41 in either of its driving positions.

The back gear shaft 2I of the regular transmission I3 is connected to the by-pass take-off shaft 68 supported on the splined portion 59 of the shaft 2| and in turn having a splined end engaging the regular power take-off shaft 23 in the differential housing 24 of the tractor. There has thus been provided a low speed auxiliary transmission in a conventional tractor which has been interposed between the regular transmission I3 and the differential housing 24 by which a low speed drive to the wheels of the tractor is effected and in which the power take-off drive shaft is connected to the regular transmission through a by-pass power shaft in the auxiliary transmission.

The trenching device is mounted on the tractor by means of the main supporting frame comprising a pair of upright standards or channels H and 12 which are welded to the brackets 13 and 14 which in turn are fixed to the differential housing 24 by suitable bolts 15. Cross channels 18 and 11 are suitably welded to the upright channels H and 12. Suitable angular braces 18 and 19 are riveted at to the upright channels 1: and 12 and are welded at their lower ends to angle plates BI secured to the flange portion 50 of the differential housing 24 by the bolts 5|.

Below the differential housing 24 are secured the brackets 82 and 83 by suitable bolts 84 and in these brackets are trunnions 85 upon which are pivotally mounted the stabilizer arms 06 and 81 which terminate in pivotal connections 88 to which are also connected the lifting arms 89 and 9:) which are pivotally connected to the differential housing 24 by suitable trunnions 9| and 92 as best seen in Figure 3. The lift arms 89 and are connected at 93 to the links 94 which in turn are connected to the lifting levers 95 carried on the rock shaft 96 journaled in the differential housing 24 of the tractor. The rock shaft 96 is actuated by the usual hydraulic cylinder 91 of the tractor having a piston 98 and a connecting rod 99 connected to a lever arm I00 fixed to the rock shaft 96 inside of the differential housing 94.

Supported pivotably at 88 on the stabilizer arms 86 and 81 and the lift arms 89 and 90 is the slide assembly or guide box member I0l which has suitable guide ways I02 in which slides the main frame or profile control bar I83. The upper end of this bar I03 is provided with channels I03a which are connected through transverse channel I032) and plate member I030 to the member I03. The upper ends of the members I53a are pivotally supported at I04 on an arm I05 which in turn are pivotally supported at I06 on the upright channel H and 12. Limit chains I51 fastened at I08 to the vertical channels H and 12 and connected to the guide box member IOI at their other ends at IBM serve to limit the downward swinging position of the stabilizer and lift arms and the guide box IBI to the position shown in Figure l.

The endless chain bucket line I09 having the buckets III) is carried on the drive sprockets III carried on a shaft I I2 journaled on suitable bearings H3 in the upper portion of the members It'3a, as best seen in Figures 2 and 3, with the axis of the shaft II2 coinciding with the pivot axis I84. On the lower end of the channel I03, where it projects downwardly through the guide box IOI, is fixed a supporting member II4 which carries a pair of large idler wheels II5 carried on a shaft II8 journaled in suitable bearings H1 in the member II4. A smaller pair of idler wheels I I8 located toward the front and upwardly from the idler wheels I I5, are fixed on a shaft II9 journaled in suitable bearings I20 in the member II4. It will be noted that the bucket chain line E09 passes downwardly over the idler wheels H5 and then diagonally upwardly along the line I09a to the smaller idler pulleys II8, as best seen in Figure 1, so that the buckets IIO pass through a greater radius of sweep in the bottom of the ditch. It will also be noted that at least two of the buckets such as I I0a and I I0!) are digging at the same time so as to provide an overlap in the entrance and leaving of the buckets from the cut to thus greatly reduce vibration during the digging operation.

Also fixed to the member H4 is the channel member I2I which extends upwardly and rearwardly to support a shaft I22 on suitable bearings I23. On the shaft I22 are fixed the sprockets I24 over which operates the bucket chain line I09 so as to positively rotate the shaft I22. A conveyor indicated generally at I25 is mounted on and interconnects the members I03 and I2I by suitable bolts at I25a and I25b so as to rigidly hold these members together at their upper portions. Since the conveyor belt forms no specific part of this invention, it will not be described in detail herein, it being suflicient to note that the conveyor may be driven from the shaft I22 through the universal joint I26, the propeller shaft I21, and the universal joint I28 connected to the drive gear box I29 which is connected through the coupling I30 to drive the conveyor belt I25 in any suitable and well known manner.

The bucket chain line I09 is driven from the power take-01f shaft 23 of the tractor. Referring to Figure 6, the power take-off shaft 23 is provided with a bevel pinion I3I which engages a mating bevel pinion I32 fixed on the shaft I33 journaled in the bearing I34 in the housing I35 attached to the differential housing 24 of the tractor. The other end of the shaft I33 is supported in a pilot bearing I36 in the output shaft I31 journaled in suitable bearings I38 in the housing I35. A shiftable clutch spool I39 carried on the splined portion I40 of the shaft I33 may be shifted over the splincd portion I4I of the shaft I31 for connecting or disconnecting the drive for starting and stopping the bucket chain line. The clutch spool I39 may be shifted by suitable control lever I42 connected to a shifter rod I43 by a suitable pin I44, a shifter yoke I45 being fixed to the rod I43 and engaging the annular slot I43 to effect the shifting of the clutch spool I39. A suitable spring urged ball detent I41 serves to position the rod I43 and the clutch spool I39 in an engaged or disengaged position.

on the outer end of the shaft I31 is fixed a sprocket I48 which drives a chain I49 operating over a sprocket I50 having a hub portion I5I, Figure '1, journaled on a shaft I52 which in turn is journaled in suitable bearings I53 and I54 about the pivot axis I06 of the supporting frame upright channels H and 12. Fixed on the hub I5I is one member I55 of an overhead clutch having a second member I56 interengaging the member I55 through serrated teeth I51. The member I56 has a hub member I58 fixed to the shaft I52 upon which is formed a pair of chain sprockets I59 over which operate the chains I60 which operatively connect with the pair of sprockets I6I fixed on the shaft H2.

The members I55 and I56 are normally held with their teeth in engagement by means of a compression spring I62 located around the shaft I52 and confined axially against the face I63 of the sprocket I50 by an adjusting nut I64 and a locked nut I65. Should an obstruction be encountered by the bucket train so as to overload the drive transmission for the bucket chain line, the clutch members I55 and I56 will slip relative to one another compressing the spring I62 as the high points of the serrations I51 ride over one another. As soon as the obstruction has been removed, resumption of the normal drive immediately takes place.

The raising and lowering of the bucket chain line is controlled hydraulically in a unique manner. Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 8, the usual hydraulic pump I 56 of the tractor is connected to be driven from the power take-off shaft 23 and receives a supply of fluid from a suitable fluid reservoir I61 in the bottom of the differential housing 24. Pressure from the pump I66 is delivered through a supply line I68 to a control valve I69 operated by a suitable manual control member I10 conveniently placed for manipulation by the operator. A suitable pressure relief valve MI is provided in the pressure line I 68 to regulate the maximum pressure in this line to prevent damage to the hydraulic circuit. The discharge line I12 from the control valve I69 is connected to the pressure chamber I13 of the cylinder 91 and through a flexible conduit I14 to the pressure chamber I15 of the profile control cylinder I16 which cylinder has its piston rod I18 pivotally connected at its upper end at I11 to the member I03, the cylinder being pivotally connected at I 19 to the guide box IOI.

When the lever I 10 is operated to open the valve I69 fluid pressure is applied simultaneously to both cylinders 91 and I16 so that the member I03 will be held in its uppermost position as shown in Figure 1 and the stabilizing and lift arms will be raised by the levers 95 allowing the limit chains I01 to sag while the trenching device as a whole is swung upwardly around the pivot axes 85, 88, I04 and I06 to raise the trenching device bodily above normal operating position shown in Figure 1. In this position the apparatus is in condition to be hauled about on the tractor to the location of the work to be done.

After the tractor has been driven to the desired position to start the digging operation, the operator manipulates the control lever 52 on the auxiliary transmission to shift in the low feeding speed drive as described. He then closes the valve I69 releasing pressure from the cylinders 91 and I16. Release of pressure from the cylinder 91 allows the trenching device as a whole to swing down to operating position where it is held by the limit chains I01. A latch device, Figure 1, comprising a lever I mounted on a rock shaft I8I carried on a suitable bracket I82 fixed to the member IOI, has a latch arm I83 adapted to en gage various stop notches I84 in the member I03 is normally held into these notches by suitable tension spring I85 interconnected between the latch member I83 and the member IN. The operator pulls the release cord I86 which allows the member I03 to drop down to any desired depth of ditch.

The position of the member I03 for regulating the profile of the bottom of the ditch being cut, may be readily controlled by manipulating the control valve I69 and the latch cord I86 without causing operation of the cylinder I91. The arrangement of the pivotal mounting 85, 88, I06 and I04 is such that a much greater pressure is required in the cylinder 91 to operate the lifting action than is required to move the member I03 relative to the member IOI by the cylinder I16. Thus after the completion of the digging operation, this arrangement provides means for automatically sequentially lifting first the member I03 to the top of its stroke as shown in Figure 5 when the valve I69 is opened, and then upon continued application of fluid pressure after the conclusion of the movement of the piston rod I 16 to the top of its stroke, pressure further builds up to cause the cylinder 91 to then operate to bodily raise the entire ditching appagatus to position to be transported to another J0 Having thus fully set forth and described this invention, what is claimed is:

'1. In a trenching machine tractor auxiliary transmission, a housing, means for securing said housing between the regular transmission case and the rear axle housing of the tractor, an, in-

put shaft in said auxiliary transmission connected to be driven from the axle drive output of said regular'transmission, an output shaft from said auxiliary transmission connected to the differential axle drive transmission in said rear ax e housing, a low speed transmission gear set in said auxiliary transmission housing driven from said input shaft, means for alternately connecting said output from said low speed transmission or the input shaft of said auxiliary transmission to the output shaft from said transmission and a bypass shaft carried in said auxiliary transmission housing having one end connected to the output back gear shaft of said regular tractor transmission and itsother endconnected to the power takeoff drive shaft in the differential housing of said tractor.

2. An auxiliary transmission for altering a standard tractor for trenching operations-comprising a housing, means forsecuring said housing between the regular transmission drive and the rear axle differential drive of a standard tractor including an input shaft journaled-in'said housing, connected in'driving alignment with the output wheel drive shaft of said regular transmission of the tractor, an output shaft journaled in said housing in alignment with said input shaft and connected to drivethe wheels of said standard tractor, a bypass shaft-journaled in said housing connected in driving alignment with the accessory drive shaft from the regular transmission of said tractor and connected'at itsoutput end with the accessory drive shaft in the differential housing of said tractor.

3. An auxiliary transmission for altering a standard tractor for trenching operations comprising a housing, means for securing said housing between the regular transmission drive and the rear axle differential drive of a standard tractor including an input shaft journaled in said housing, connected in driving alignment with the output wheel drive shaft'of said regular transmission of the tractor, an output shaft-journaled insaid housing in alignment with'said' input shaft and connected todrive the wheels of said standard tractor; a bypass shaftjournaledin said housing connected in driving alignment-with the accessory drive shaft from the regular transmission of said tractor and connecte'dat its output end with the accessory drive-'shaft' in the differential housing ofsaid tractor a low speed gear train assembly journaled in'said housingconnected to be driven from'theinput shaft' of' said auxiliary transmission at all times, afinal output gear insaid low speed gear set journaled on the output shaft of said auxiliary transmis sion, and positive clutch-means for alternately connecting the output shaft of said auxiliary transmission directly to theinputshaft of'saidtransmission or to the output gearof said-slowspeed gear set.

4. A slow speed auxiliary transmission for a standard tractor comprising a housing, meansfor intersecuring said transmission-between the standard transmission and the'rear axle housing of said tractor, abypassshaft journaled in said transmission interconnectingtheaccessory drive output of said standard transmission with the accessory drive shaft in the differential housing of said tractor, and a slow speed drive transmission in said auxiliary transmission housing including an input and output shaft independently journaled for rotation about an axis coinciding with the output wheel drive from said standard transmission and the propeller shaft 8 drive of the differential gearing in the rear axle housing of said standard tractor.

5. A slow speed auxiliary transmission for a standard tractor comprising a housing, means for intersecuring said transmission between the standard transmission and the rear axle housing of said tractor, a bypass shaft'journaled in said transmission interconnecting the accessory drive output of said standard transmission with the accessory drive shaft in the differential housing of said tractor, and a slow speed drive transmission in said auxiliary transmission housing including an input and output shaft independently journaled for rotation about an axis coinciding with the output wheel drive from said standard transmission and the propeller shaft drive of the differential gearing in the rear axle housing of said standard tractor, and low speed gearing including first and second intermediate shafts, a pair of compound reducing gears journaled on said first intermediate shaft, a single compound gear journaled on saidsecond intermediate shaft, means for driving one of said compound gears on said first intermediate shaft from the input shaft of said auxiliary transmission, and a final output gear journaled on the output shaft of said transmission driven from the other of said compound gears on said first intermediate shaft, and means for interconnecting both of said compound gears on said first intermediate shaft through the single set of compound gears on said second intermediate shaft to provide a low speed drive between the input shaft and the output final gear of said auxiliary transmission.

6. A slow speed auxiliary transmission for a standard tractor comprising a housing, means for intersecuring said transmission between the standard transmission and the rear axle housing of said tractor, a bypass shaftjournaled in said transmission interconnecting the accessory drive output of said standard transmission with the accessory drive shaft in the differential housing of said tractor, and a slow speed drive transmission in said auxiliary transmission housing including an input and output shaft independently journaled for rotation about an'axis coinciding with the output wheel drive shaft from said standard transmission and the propeller shaft drive of the differential gearing in the rear axle housing of said standard tractor, and low speed gearing including first and second-intermediate shafts, a pair of compoundreducing gears journaled on said-first intermediateshaft, a single compound-gear journaled on said second intermediate shaft, means for driving one of said compoundgears on'said-first intermediate shaft from the input shaft of said auxiliary transmission, a'final output gear journaled on the output shaftof said transmission driven from the other of said compound gears on said first intermediate shaft, and means for interconnecting both of said compound gears on said first intermediate shaft through said single compound gear on said second intermediate shaft to provide a low speed drive between the input shaft and the final output gear of said auxiliary transmission, including clutch means for alternately directly interconnecting said input and output shafts of said auxiliaiy transmission or connecting said output shaft to said final output gear of said low speed gear-set.

W'OODROW W.

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